“Are we there yet?” — Ready Lanes open for RFID-Documents

The most important initial concern for any visitor to the USA is being able to enter the USA. at Fong & Aquino, our immigration law clients want to be able to clear customs and immigration — here in Los Angeles, or at any other port of entry — as quickly as possible; our job as immigration lawyers is to help them do so.

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has started a test program, running until about 19 March 2011, at the US border crossing at El Paso/Ysleta, permitting use of a “Ready Lane” by those who have certain approved documents. The documents must be approved Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology-enabled travel cards, documents, and passports. Only those with RFID-compliant documents may use the dedicated “Ready Lane.”

To use the “Ready Lane,” each passenger over age 16 in the vehicle must have an approved RFID-enabled document, such as a US passport card, the new Border Crossing Card, the new green Permanent Resident card, and other approved documents. Then:

* Stop at the entry to the inspection lane; wait for the signal to move forward;
* Each passenger must remove and “hold up” the RFID document, with the flat face toward the window on the driver’s side of the vehicle; at this point, each RFID card will be “read” by the CBP scanner; proceed to the inspection booth; and * Stop at the inspection booth and be ready to show the documents of ALL TRAVELERS to the CBP officer at the booth.

CBP says that this program will reduce the wait time to cross the border. If the pilot program is successful, it may be replicated at other US land borders. –jcf